They are America's fighting elite, "quiet professionals" who have waged unconventional warfare on enemies from the jungles of Vietnam to the mountains of Afghanistan.

And on Aug. 14, a few hundred former, retired and active-duty Special Forces soldiers came together for the Special Forces Association, Chapter XVI William R. Card Memorial Chapter picnic.

The event was held at the "team house," - the home of "Capt. Ron" Rismon, a former SF Soldier and retired Alaska Airlines pilot - adjacent to the Crest Air Park in Kent.  On hand were Air Force Lt. Col. (retired) Joe Jackson, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient; Washington State Representative and former SF soldier Tom Campbell (R-District 2); and 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne) Deputy Commander Col. Brian Vines along with members of the Vietnamese Special Forces Association, Helicopter Pilots Association and other veterans' organizations. Soldiers from 1st SFG (A) manned a static display highlighting some of the technology used by today's Special Operations Forces.

The picnic, which has been held annually for more than 30 years, "allows us to fulfill our mission," said SFA President Sgt. Maj. (retired) Dave Shell. "To honor the memory of our fallen comrades and keep alive SF traditions and legacies, to get together and talk about the way forward in the organization and to have a good time."

Set in Rismon's enormous garage "man cave," which contains a full bar and myriad of hunting trophies - including an entire alligator suspended from the ceiling - about 200 former and current special operations service members gathered to enjoy a barbeque lunch provided by the chapter, swap stories and catch up with old friends.

"The key thing is linkage," Vines said. "Passing down kind of campfire stories to the younger guys.  We learn from those who have come before us."

The association works hard to recruit younger service members to the organization, Rismon said. "You build from the bottom up to bring people in and keep going," he said. "They have 1st Group here, which is perfect."

"What I found out here was even though (there's a) time gap from the troops of today and yesterday, our mindset has never changed," said Marine Staff Sgt. Julio Delacruz from Recruiting Station Seattle, who spent the afternoon volunteering at the bar and looking over old photos with some of the retirees. "It's a great appreciation knowing that our mindset is the same as it was then."

"We love having them here," said retired SF soldier and Chapter 16 member Butch Hall of the younger service members in attendance. "In SF we're all family. It's a family business."